A/HRC/28/75 belief in some communities that having sex with a person with albinism can cure HIV/AIDS.29 36. Women who give birth to children with albinism are particularly exposed. They are often rejected by their husbands, accused of adultery and blamed for giving birth to children who are perceived as a curse, misfortune or a cause of shame for the family.30 37. In her opening remarks at a press conference during her mission to Nigeria in March 2014, the former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights alluded to the specific discrimination faced by persons with albinism and the extra vulnerability faced by children with the condition. She stated “One group at particular risk are the some 800,000 children among the 2 million people living with albinism in Nigeria. Many of them are not in school because of visual impairment, discrimination from other children, and social exclusion as a result of their skin colour.” 38. The 2014 annual report of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children identified children with albinism as particularly vulnerable. The report explains that children with albinism are at high risk of abandonment, stigmatization, and marginalization as a result of their appearance, and due to disability factors associated with their condition, such as impaired eyesight and sensitive skin (…). Social and structural discrimination condemns these children to a position of extreme vulnerability. Children with albinism are exposed to severe incidents of violence, mutilation and murder. At times they become the target of witchcraft accusations, leading to the use of their body parts for ritual purposes. Children who survive such attacks are left with serious and long-lasting health and psychological consequences, and the development of their full potential is compromised for life. Driven by fear and superstition, incidences of violence are largely met with silence and indifference. They are rarely reported or followed by investigation or prosecution. Overall, there is a pervasive culture of impunity.31 G. Violence and discrimination against persons with albinism: a global phenomenon? 39. While it has been reported that persons with albinism globally face discrimination and stigma,32 information on cases of physical attacks against persons with albinism is mainly available from countries in Africa. It is important to reiterate the point made in the OHCHR report that any real or apparent focus on Africa—whether in the present report or the issue generally— is explained by the fact that, to date, all reported cases of ritual attacks have come from that region. 40. The manner in which discrimination faced by persons with albinism manifests itself, and its severity, vary from region to region. In the western world, including North America, Europe and Australia, discrimination often consists of name-calling, persistent teasing and bullying of children with albinism.33 In those regions, the substance of discrimination is 29 30 31 32 33 10 This phenomenon has been exposed by various NGOs working in Burundi, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Namibia, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. Outcome report of the Expert Meeting on Persons with Albinism; Violence, Discrimination and Way Forward, 24 September 2014 (see footnote 15), para. 15. A/69/264, paras. 34–37. A/HRC/24/57, paras. 2 and 65. See Under the Same Sun (UTSS), www.underthesamesun.com/; see also Asociación de Ayuda a